Study guide
7.2 Verbal Periphrases of Obligation, Ability & Desire
DELE A2 — Spanish Language Diploma Elementary
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1 Chapter 1: Exam Overview, Format & Scoring Structure
1.1 DELE A2 Identity, Purpose & Nationality Requirements 1.2 Four Pruebas & Official Test Administration 1.3 Scoring System: The 30/50 Group Rules & Pass Criteria
2 Chapter 2: Prueba 1 — Reading Comprehension Tasks & Strategies
2.1 Reading Tarea 1: Personal Correspondence & Informational Texts 2.2 Reading Tarea 2: Notices, Bulletins & Short Announcements 2.3 Reading Tarea 3: Matching Statements to Thematic Texts 2.4 Reading Tarea 4: Long Narrative Text & Changes of Topic
3 Chapter 3: Prueba 2 — Listening Comprehension Tasks & Auditory Techniques
3.1 Listening Tarea 1: Six Short Conversations with Picture Options 3.2 Listening Tarea 2: Radio News, Ads & Programme Extracts 3.3 Listening Tarea 3: One Conversation – Man, Woman or Neither 3.4 Listening Tarea 4: Seven Messages Matched to Ten Statements
4 Chapter 4: Prueba 3 — Written Expression & Interaction
4.1 Writing Tarea 1: Replying to a Personal Message (60–70 Words) 4.2 Writing Tarea 2: Option A (Personal Life) or Option B (Photos/Data) 4.3 The Official Writing Scale, Cohesion & Common Errors
5 Chapter 5: Prueba 4 — Oral Expression & Interaction
5.1 Oral Test Structure, 12-Minute Preparation & Official Scales 5.2 Oral Tarea 1: Prepared Presentation on a Personal Topic 5.3 Oral Tarea 2: Describing a Photograph (Monologue) 5.4 Oral Tarea 3: Simulated Conversation Linked to the Photo
6 Chapter 6: Essential A2 Grammar — Verb Systems & Tenses
6.1 Present Indicative Regulars, Stem-Changers & Irregulars 6.2 Reflexive Verbs & Verbs of Preference (Gustar, Encantar, Doler) 6.3 The Past Tenses: Pretérito Perfecto vs. Pretérito Indefinido 6.4 Pretérito Imperfecto & The Three-Way Past Tense Contrast
7 Chapter 7: Essential A2 Grammar — Syntax, Periphrases & Operators
7.1 Expressing the Future: Ir a + Inf, Present & Simple Future 7.2 Verbal Periphrases of Obligation, Ability & Desire 7.3 Direct & Indirect Object Pronouns and Position Rules 7.4 Affirmative Imperative: Tú & Usted Commands
8 Chapter 8: Foundational Contrasts & Sentence Building
8.1 Ser vs. Estar: Attributes, Locations, States & Gerunds 8.2 Por vs. Para: Causes, Destinations, Deadlines & Exchanges 8.3 Comparatives, Superlatives, Quantifiers & Negatives 8.4 The Noun Phrase: Gender, Articles, Demonstratives, Possessives & Relatives
9 Chapter 9: Thematic Vocabulary — Daily Life, Housing & Surroundings
9.1 Personal Identity, Physical Description & Family Relations 9.2 Home, Housing Types, Furniture & Household Tasks 9.3 City Navigation, Places in Town & Giving Directions
10 Chapter 10: Thematic Vocabulary — Services, Transactions & Health
10.1 Food, Dining Out, Supermarket Shopping & Ordering 10.2 Shopping for Clothes, Sizes, Prices & Commercial Transactions 10.3 Health, Body Parts, Illnesses & Pharmacy Visits 10.4 Work, Professions, Workplace Routines & Job Applications 10.5 Studies, Courses, Phones & Everyday Services
11 Chapter 11: Thematic Vocabulary — Leisure, Travel & Environment
11.1 Free Time, Hobbies, Sports & Entertainment 11.2 Travel, Accommodations, Transport Modes & Bookings 11.3 Weather, Climate, Seasons & Natural Environment
12 Chapter 12: Exam Day Strategy, Time Management & Final Review
12.1 Timing, Answer Sheets & Pacing on Exam Day 12.2 Identifying Distractors, False Friends & Traps 12.3 6-Week Structured Study Plan & High-Yield Checklist
7.2 Verbal Periphrases of Obligation, Ability & Desire
Key Takeaways Explain This Topic AI
Verbal periphrases (perífrasis verbales) combine a conjugated auxiliary verb, an optional nexus preposition or conjunction, and a non-finite verb (infinitive or gerund) to function as an indivisible semantic operator.
Spanish strictly contrasts personal obligation (tener que + infinitivo, conjugated to match a specific human subject) with impersonal, universal obligation (hay que + infinitivo, invariable in the third-person singular).
Modality covers degrees of necessity and volition: moral advice through deber + infinitivo, capacity and authorization through poder + infinitivo, and polite desires via me gustaría + infinitivo.
Aspectual periphrases pinpoint the structural phases of an action: inception (empezar a + infinitivo), duration in progress (estar + gerundio), and cessation (dejar de + infinitivo).
The present progressive periphrasis (estar + gerundio) pairs regular endings (-ando, -iendo) with crucial radical vowel shifts in irregular gerunds (leyendo, durmiendo, pidiendo) to describe actions occurring at the exact moment of speech.
Last updated: September 2026
Quick Summary: A verbal periphrasis ( perífrasis verbal ) is a syntactic combination of two or more verb forms that function as a single predicate unit. The first verb is conjugated and carries grammatical person, number, and tense information, while the second verb appears in a non-finite form ( infinitivo or gerundio ) and carries the core semantic meaning. Mastering periphrases of obligation, permission, desire, and aspect is essential for expressing nuanced intentions in both written and spoken portions of the DELE A2 exam.
1. Anatomy and Classification of Verbal Periphrases
Every verbal periphrasis follows an unyielding syntactic architecture: [Conjugated Auxiliary Verb] + [Optional Nexus: Preposition / Conjunction] + [Non-Finite Verb: Infinitive / Gerund]
Tengo que estudiar.
Vamos a viajar.
Estoy (none) leyendo.
On the DELE A2, periphrases fall into two broad semantic categories:
Modal Periphrases ( Perífrasis Modales ): Express the speaker's attitude toward the action: necessity, obligation, permission, capability, or desire.
Aspectual Periphrases ( Perífrasis Aspectuales ): Focus on the internal developmental phase of an action: its commencement, progressive duration, or termination.
2. Periphrases of Obligation and Necessity
A key distinction for DELE A2 writing and speaking is the grammatical and pragmatic boundary between personal obligation , impersonal obligation , and moral advice .
Periphrasis Formula Meaning & Pragmatic Use Contextual DELE A2 Example
tener que + inf. Conjugated tener + que + infinitive Direct personal obligation; specific person must do something Tengo que estudiar mucho para aprobar el DELE A2.
hay que + inf. Invariable hay + que + infinitive Impersonal, universal requirement; general rule with no specific subject Para solicitar la nacionalidad española hay que aprobar el examen.
deber + inf. Conjugated deber + infinitive Moral duty, ethical responsibility, or medical/personal advice Si tienes fiebre, debes consultar con un médico de cabecera.
necesitar + inf. Conjugated necesitar + infinitive Practical necessity or logistical requirement Necesito renovar mi tarjeta de transporte este mes.
The Fundamental Contrast: Tener que vs. Hay que
Understanding the distinction between tener que and hay que is a cornerstone of A2 syntactic mastery:
Tener que + infinitivo (Personal): Conjugates across all persons ( tengo, tienes, tiene, tenemos, tenéis, tienen ). The grammatical subject is personally responsible for carrying out the action:
Yo tengo que levantarme a las seis mañana. (I personally have to wake up).
Vosotros tenéis que entregar la tarea el viernes. (You all must submit).
Hay que + infinitivo (Impersonal): Derived from the existential verb haber , it possesses only one form ( hay ) and cannot take a personal grammatical subject ( yo, tú, nosotros ). It announces objective prerequisites, societal laws, or universal instructions applicable to everyone:
En la biblioteca hay que guardar silencio. (Silence must be kept in the library).
Para conducir en España hay que tener al menos 18 años. (One must be at least 18).
Caution
The Personal Hay Que Trap: Never attempt to attach a personal pronoun to hay que . Utterances like *Yo hay que estudiar or *Nosotros hay que ir are severe communicative breakdowns on the DELE exam. If a personal subject is present, you must use tener que ( Yo tengo que estudiar ).
3. Periphrases of Capacity, Permission, and Volition
Interacting politely in commercial establishments, booking travel, and negotiating social schedules require modal periphrases of possibility, permission, and desire:
1. Poder + Infinitivo (Capability, Possibility, and Authorization)
The verb poder is an o > ue stem-changing verb ( puedo, puedes, puede, podemos, podéis, pueden ). It connects directly to the infinitive without any intervening preposition:
Asking Permission (Prueba 4 Tarea 3): ¿ Puedo pagar con tarjeta de crédito? (May I pay by credit card?)
Physical or Logistical Capability: Hoy no puedo ir al gimnasio porque tengo una reunión tarde. (I cannot go to the gym today).
- Courteous Requests: ¿ Puede repetir la pregunta, por favor? (Can you repeat the question, please?)
- 2. Querer + Infinitivo (Direct Desire and Intention)
The verb querer undergoes an e > ie stem change ( quiero, quieres, quiere, queremos, queréis, quieren ):
El próximo año quiero cambiar de trabajo y buscar una empresa internacional.
¿ Quieres venir con nosotros al concierto el sábado por la tarde?
3. Gustaría + Infinitivo (Polite Desire and Courteous Inquiries)
While quiero + infinitivo expresses a direct, assertive want, me gustaría + infinitivo provides a softer, socially sophisticated register. It functions as an inverted verb of preference (taking indirect object pronouns me, te, le, nos, os, les ):
Formal Reservations (emails and Oral Tarea 3 situations): Buenos días. Me gustaría reservar una habitación doble para tres noches.
Expressing Aspirations: En el futuro a mis amigos y a mí nos gustaría vivir en una ciudad costera.
4. Aspectual Periphrases: Inception, Duration, and Cessation
Aspectual periphrases define the precise developmental stage of an action. Three periphrases form the core syllabus of DELE A2: Timeline of Aspectual Periphrases:
- [empezar a + inf.] ------> [estar + gerundio] ------> [dejar de + inf.]
- INCEPTION DURATION CESSATION
- "Empezó a llover" "Está lloviendo" "Dejó de llover"
- 1. Inception: Empezar a / Comenzar a + Infinitivo
Both empezar and comenzar are e > ie stem-changing verbs ( empiezo, comienzas ). They indicate the starting point of an action and always require the preposition a :
El lunes que viene empiezo a trabajar en la nueva sucursal bancaria.
Cuando sonó la música, todos los invitados empezaron a bailar .
2. Ongoing Duration: Estar + Gerundio (The Progressive Aspect)
Describes an action currently in progress at the exact moment of speaking. It combines the conjugated present tense of estar ( estoy, estás, está, estamos, estáis, están ) with a gerund ( gerundio ):
Regular Gerund Formation
First conjugation ( -ar ): remove -ar and append -ando ( hablar -> hablando; trabajar -> trabajando ).
Second and third conjugations ( -er / -ir ): remove the ending and append -iendo ( comer -> comiendo; vivir -> viviendo ).
High-Frequency Irregular Gerunds
DELE A2 candidates must memorize three patterns of irregular gerunds:
Irregular Pattern Phonological Rule Infinitive Gerund Form Example Sentence
Double Vowel -> Orthographic -y- Unstressed i between two vowels turns into consonantal y leer ; traer ; oír leyendo ; trayendo ; oyendo En este momento estoy leyendo una novela policiaca.
Third Conj. Vowel Weakening (e > i) Root vowel e weakens to i in the gerund pedir ; decir ; servir ; vestir pidiendo ; diciendo ; sirviendo ; vistiendo El camarero está sirviendo la comida a los clientes.
Third Conj. Vowel Weakening (o > u) Root vowel o weakens to u in the gerund dormir ; morir durmiendo ; muriendo Silencio, por favor; el bebé se está durmiendo.
Note
Progressive vs. Future Distinction: In English, one frequently says "Tomorrow I am traveling to Rome." In Spanish, this use of the progressive is strictly ungrammatical. Estar + gerundio can never express future plans. You must say Mañana viajo a Roma (present) or Mañana voy a viajar a Roma (periphrastic future).
3. Cessation: Dejar de + Infinitivo
Indicates the definitive interruption or permanent cessation of a continuous or habitual activity. It always requires the preposition de :
Mi hermano ha dejado de fumar este año por motivos de salud.
A las seis en punto los operarios dejan de trabajar y cierran el taller.
Contrast: Do not confuse with terminar de + infinitivo , which denotes completing a specific finite task ( Ya he terminado de cenar ).
5. Clitic Pronoun Placement in Verbal Periphrases
When a verbal periphrasis includes reflexive, direct object, or indirect object pronouns, Spanish grants the speaker two grammatically equivalent placement choices through the syntactic mechanism known as clitic climbing :
Option 1: Proclisis (Before the Conjugated Auxiliary Verb)
The pronoun is placed as an independent word immediately preceding the conjugated verb:
Me tengo que levantar temprano.*
¿ Lo puedes repetir, por favor?
Carmen se está duchando ahora mismo.
Option 2: Enclisis (Attached to the Non-Finite Verb)
The pronoun attaches directly to the tail end of the infinitive or gerund, forming a single written word:
Tengo que levantar me temprano.
¿Puedes repetir lo , por favor?
Carmen está duchándo se ahora mismo.
Important
Graphic Accents on Gerund Enclisis: When an enclitic pronoun is appended to a gerund, the tonic stress remains on the original vowel of the ending ( -ándo- , -iéndo- ). Because adding a pronoun pushes the stress to the third syllable from the end ( palabra esdrújula ), an orthographic accent mark is phonetically mandatory: lavando -> lavándome ; vistiendo -> vistiéndose .
6. Common DELE A2 Candidate Pitfalls & Examiner Advice
Pitfall 1: Splitting the Periphrasis: Never place an object or reflexive pronoun between the auxiliary verb and the non-finite form. Constructions like *Tengo me que levantar or *Estoy se vistiendo are fatal syntactic violations. Keep the auxiliary and non-finite verb linked.
Pitfall 2: Confusing Prepositions in Periphrases: Notice the precise prepositions: tener que + inf. , hay que + inf. , empezar a + inf. , ir a + inf. , dejar de + inf. , but poder and deber take zero preposition ( *debo de estudiar is an error at A2). Mixing up these connectors immediately signals grammatical insecurity.
Pitfall 3: Failing to Apply Gerund Vowel Weakening: Writing *dormiendo instead of durmiendo or *pediendo instead of pidiendo is a common Uso de la lengua error in Prueba 3. Remember that -ir verbs with stem changes in the present tense weaken their stem vowel in the gerund.